DAAD Scholarships - An Overview
Would you like to study, carry out research or learn German in Germany and are you looking for funding? Every year, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports well over 100,000 German and international students and researchers around the globe – making it the world's largest funding organisation of its kind. Learn more about our scholarship options.
DAAD are aimed primarily at graduates, doctoral students and and are awarded for study and research visits to universities and non-university research institutions in Germany. In some programmes, are also funded.
DAAD awards research grants for PhD students from almost all countries of origin. A grant for a full Doctoral programme in Germany is offered primarily to applicants from developing and emerging countries.
Scholarships for a in Germany are available, in particular, for persons from industrial countries. However, some study scholarship programs are aimed specifically at students from developing and emerging countries, such as the "Study scholarships for STEM disciplines“ and "Development-related Postgraduate Courses (EPOS)" programs.
Students and doctoral candidates who are at risk of being denied educational or other rights in their country of origin have the chance to get a scholarship from the "Hilde Domin Programme". Potential candidates cannot themselves apply for participation in the scholarship programme but are nominated by an institution or organisation that is a legal entity domiciled in Germany. Thereafter, suitable candidates will be contacted by the DAAD and invited to apply via the DAAD application portal.
Also available are so-called "In-Country" or "In-Region" programmes in which students and young scientists and researchers are offered DAAD funding for a graduate programme, or postdoc period in their home country or region.
If you wish to apply for a DAAD scholarship, please read the call for applications for your chosen scholarship programme in the scholarship database, paying particular attention to application deadlines. The scholarship database will take you to the application portal. Scholarship applications are reviewed by independent and voluntary selection committees, which also decide on the allocation of scholarships. The committees not only assess the professional qualifications and the quality of the study or research project, but also the potential of the applicant. Special circumstances (e.g. disability) may be taken into account. The detailed selection criteria can be found in the Important Scholarship Information for Scholarship Applicants under point E.3 and in each call for applications under the "Selection" tab.
DAAD scholarships do not have to be paid back. They usually consist of a monthly scholarship payment (currently, for example, € 934 for students and € 1,300 for doctoral/PhD students) and a flat-rate travel allowance. In many cases, DAAD also provides you with health, and . Depending on the scholarship programme, there are also additional benefits such as a one-off research allowance, family benefits or funds for language courses. The benefits offered by the respective scholarship programme are described in the call for applications in the scholarship database.
